The people and places worth making a day of
Last checked October 18, 2026
At Skillette, we’re drawn to people who know their craft and take pleasure in looking after you. You can feel that care in a good meal, a thoughtful recommendation or a piece made to be used for years.
These are the Georgetown places we return to and recommend, along with a little about the people behind them. Come for a class, stay for lunch and leave a little room for wandering.
Restaurants
For a long lunch, a quiet dinner or a table worth planning around.
La Bonne Vache
Our neighbors across the street give French bistro cooking a playful turn. Chef Rob Aikens puts familiar French flavors into burgers and sandwiches, with Ari and Claire Wilder among the partners and Guillermo Roa leading the room. The welcome is friendly and the service thoughtful. Walk in; they do not take reservations.
Two Nine
Sushi Taro alum Zach Ramos is behind this intimate Japanese restaurant. His Hawaiian upbringing informs a seasonal omakase that brings together local produce and seafood from Japan. Reserve a seat at the counter and settle in.
Lutèce
A little of Paris in Georgetown. Matt Conroy and pastry chef Isabel Coss helped shape this intimate French bistro with the Popal family. Come for thoughtful seasonal cooking, natural wine and a pastry program worth saving room for.
My Little Chamomile
Çağla Önal Urel’s Turkish cooking is personal and full of vegetables and herbs. Tucked into a cobblestone alley, the restaurant feels like being invited to an old friend’s table. Try the mantı, little beef dumplings served with yogurt and spiced butter.
CUT D.C. and CUT Bar and Lounge
Our friends at Rosewood welcome you to Wolfgang Puck’s CUT, where executive chef Andrew Ho leads the kitchen. Come for steak and leave room for pastry chef Ligia Barros’s desserts. If you see Tony Mosca, the hotel’s managing director, say hello for us.
Osteria Mozza
Nancy Silverton and Stephen Starr’s Georgetown restaurant is a place to settle in for a long Italian lunch. We could happily eat the roasted chicken salad every day. Leave time to explore the mozzarella dishes and handmade pastas, too.
Alfie’s
Alex McCoy, who founded Lucky Buns, and Justin Ahn bring Northern Thai cooking and natural wines to Georgetown. Go ready to discover a dish or bottle you haven’t tried before.
Flora Pizzeria
Tom Wellings and Camila Arango, the pastry chefs behind Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, give pizza the same attention they give their baking. Their dough is naturally leavened and made with organic flour. Stop at the Georgetown shop on 31st Street for a slice or take a whole pie home.
Bars and evenings
For a thoughtful glass of wine, a closer look at a rare spirit or an evening of music.
Apéro
Elli Benchimol puts hospitality at the center of Apéro. Her wine list gives particular attention to Champagne, and caviar is a natural place to begin. Tell the team what you like and let them help you find something new.
The Fountain Inn
Rare spirits deserve time and someone who can help you understand them. The Fountain Inn offers tastings alongside the cooking of Greg Heitzig, formerly chef de cuisine at Pineapple and Pearls. A good choice when you want to learn a little more about what is in your glass.
Florería Atlántico
Renato “Tato” Giovannoni and Alex Resnik have brought the Buenos Aires cocktail bar to Georgetown. Enter through the flower shop and head downstairs. The drinks carry the Argentine bartender’s interest in ingredients and the stories they can tell.
Bernadette’s
An evening to dress for. Upstairs from The Oak Room, this supper club and piano bar pairs live music with classic cocktails and cooking from Tim Hollingsworth. Reserve ahead and check the music calendar.
Martin’s Tavern
Four generations of the Martin family have made this tavern part of Georgetown’s daily life. Stop for a beer and fries. If the history is part of the draw, ask for the Proposal Booth when booking and let the staff tell you its story.
Coffee and something sweet
A reason to pause, and a chance to appreciate the work behind something familiar.
YELLOW
At Michael Rafidi’s Levantine café, pastry chef Alicia Wang brings French technique to za’atar and labne croissants and baklava kouign amanns. Coffee director Ayat Elhag brings the same curiosity to the drinks, drawing on the region’s flavors and coffee traditions.
Baked & Wired
Teresa and Tony Velazquez’s family bakery has been part of Georgetown since 2001. The baking is done in small batches from family recipes, with cupcakes, cookies and other sweets alongside coffee from roasters across the country. Pick up something for the walk or a box to share.
Yala Greek Ice Cream
Chrys Kefalas created Yala in tribute to his grandfather, George Minadakis, and his belief in making things well and welcoming people warmly. Start with Mediterranean pistachio or Yia Mas, Greek yogurt ice cream with tart wild cherries.
Grace Street Coffee Roasters
A café and working roastery at 3299 K Street NW. The team roasts its coffee on site, bringing the work behind your morning cup into the neighborhood. Ask what they’re brewing and pick up a bag to try at home.
Markets
For the kitchen, a picnic or something to take home after class.
Stachowski’s Market
Chef Jamie Stachowski and his family bring the skills of butchery and charcuterie to a neighborhood market. Come for cured and smoked meats, sausages, generous sandwiches or something to cook at home.
Dent Place Market and Sara’s Market
Vivien Tsang, John Michael Kushner and their team have helped keep the neighborhood corner shop alive. The two markets make room for local food producers alongside coffee, provisions and bottles for dinner. Stop for something for a picnic, or pick up what you need on the way home.
Shops
Places with a point of view, and people who can help you see something in a new way.
MANSE
Andrew Coon and Adam Howley bring a considered eye to objects for the table and home, with an emphasis on work made by artisans. Browse for a useful piece, a gift for a host or something you will enjoy using every day.
Pillar & Post
Daphna Peled and her mother, Judith, travel to England to source the antiques and home accessories they bring back to Book Hill. The pleasure is in their eye and their knowledge of the pieces. Leave time to ask about the history of something that catches your attention.
Ann Mashburn and Sid Mashburn
At the connected Georgetown shops, Cristina Morales leads the Ann Mashburn team and Barry Muchnick leads Sid’s. Alterations and private appointments are part of the service, with records playing and a drink on hand. Come with time to find the right fit.
Relish
Lindsay Rieling brings more than two decades with the boutique to her role as its owner. In Cady’s Alley, she and the team assemble a wardrobe with a distinct point of view, introducing customers to designers and pieces worth getting to know.
TOAST
Clothing and homewares with close attention to materials and making. The shop offers styling appointments and free mending for TOAST garments. We appreciate the attention paid to keeping a well loved piece in use.
Alas Eius
Founder Ashley Turchin and creative partner Iris Bamberger White bring a personal point of view to clothing and accessories, combining their own collection with other designers. The Potomac Street shop offers styling appointments, a way to spend time with the clothes and the people who choose them.
Art and gardens
Leave time to look closely. There is craft to discover beyond the kitchen and the shops.
Washington Printmakers Gallery
Founded by local artists, this gallery brings together printmakers, photographers and book artists. Browse original prints and check the calendar for an artist talk or demonstration. It is a chance to meet the people making the work and learn something about how it is made.
Dumbarton Oaks
Designed by Beatrix Farrand in collaboration with Mildred Bliss, these gardens reward close looking. Notice how the planting, paths and views work together as you move through them. Check seasonal opening times and garden ticket arrangements before visiting.
Tudor Place
Historic boxwood, specimen trees and open lawns make the gardens a rewarding pause between shops. House tours also tell the stories of the family and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked here. Garden visits and house tours have different arrangements, so check the visitor information before setting out.
Make a day of it
An afternoon around Book Hill
Pick up coffee at YELLOW, then walk up Wisconsin Avenue to Pillar & Post, Oliver Dunn, Moss & Co., Catharine Roberts, and Washington Printmakers Gallery. Finish with a browse at Georgetown Library. Its Peabody Room holds a collection of neighborhood history and has separate visiting hours.
Book Hill Park closed for renovations on September 14, 2026. Until reopening is confirmed, keep this outing to the shops, gallery and library. Check the park project
An afternoon by the water
Pick up a coffee at Grace Street and walk through Georgetown Waterfront Park. Browse TOAST and Alas Eius on Potomac Street, then continue to Cady’s Alley for Relish. Take a walk along the C&O Canal, with CUT Bar and Lounge nearby if you would like a drink before heading home.
On the horizon
Bizzeria
Michael Rafidi’s forthcoming pizza restaurant will be our downstairs neighbor, with sourdough crusts developed by Alicia Wang and wines selected by William Simons. We look forward to introducing you when the doors open.
Apiary Coffee Co.
A Georgetown pop-up is in the works for Apiary Coffee Co. Roaster and co-owner Nathan Frost brings a teacher’s curiosity to coffee and the choices behind a good cup. We’ll share visiting details once they are set.
Keep the guide close and leave a little room for wandering. Follow the links for current menus, opening days and reservations.